• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Butler will try to stay on winning track against Loyola-Chicago

Feb 22, 2007 - 5:20 PM Loyola Chicago (19-9) at No. 15 Butler (25-4) 9:00 pm EST

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- After suffering a disappointing loss in their last home game, Butler hopes for a better performance in front of its fans.

The 15th-ranked Bulldogs aim to bounce back from a tough loss here when they host Loyola-Chicago on Thursday in a Horizon League matchup.

The Bulldogs (25-4, 12-2 Horizon) have split their last four contests since reeling off a nine-game winning streak.

Butler, which trails first-place Wright State by one-half game in the conference standings, dropped a 68-64 decision here to 14th-ranked Southern Illinois on Saturday.

Leading scorer A.J. Graves managed just five points in that contest but rebounded with a solid outing two days later, scoring 20 points in Monday's 68-58 triumph over Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Loyola-Chicago (19-9, 9-5) will be looking for its seventh straight win Thursday. The Ramblers played the Bulldogs tough in their first meeting, dropping a 70-66 overtime decision.

Loyola's latest win came at the expense of Eastern Illinois, 66-43. The defense was the star for the Ramblers, holding Eastern Illinois to just 29 percent shooting (15-of-52) for the game.